You actually believed I would let you go?
by chaseroftheyear
Summary: Five years from the first landing, Bellamy and Clarke are faced with an ultimatum for peace.


Author's note: I own none of these characters, as they belong to not only show runners, but Kass Morgan.

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><p>Bellamy stalked the length of his tent, pacing from one corner to the next. He could practically see the steam of frustration pour out of him. Earlier in the night, the council met to discuss how to negotiate best with the neighboring groups of people.<p>

Since the 100 had been sent to the ground over five years ago, much had changed. After those on the Ark had followed them down to Earth, leading the survivors had been a conflicting issue; those from the Ark put their trust in Abby and Wells, and the remaining group of the 100 put theirs in Clarke and Bellamy.

After it was clear not everyone was comfortable being governed by the same people, Clarke negotiated with her mother to separate into two tribes. Since then, the remaining 100 had traveled from place to place, returning back to their original landing location every few months or so.

As their influence and knowledge of the Earth expanded, so did their list of enemies. Like the mountain-men and grounders reacted been originally, the surviving humans Bellamy had encountered felt threatened, causing him and Clarke having to negotiate terms of peace many times over the years.

That night's council meeting had been to discuss tomorrow's meeting with the Lakeshore tribe. As far as Bellamy could tell from his few interactions with these people, they seemed peaceful enough, but one could never be too careful. Bellamy had automatically assumed he would be going with Clarke tomorrow, as per usual, but she clearly thought otherwise.

"I'm leaving at first sun tomorrow with Raven to talk with the Lakeshore leaders," Clarke had said to the council, looking around at everyone but avoiding Bellamy's gaze. "There, we will inquire about the parameters of their tribe and how far their control is, as we always do."

The meeting lasted only a few minutes longer, and soon everyone had cleared out of the tent for bed - except Bellamy. Clarke hadn't even noticed he was still sitting there until she turned around from looking at a map. She turned around and jumped, "I didn't realize you were still here." Her attention was on Bellamy, but she still wouldn't meet his eyes.

Bellamy raised an eyebrow, "Really? Because from that meeting, I'd say you hadn't even realized I was _there_." He knew why Clarke had refused to acknowledge him, but he wasn't going to let it slide.

Clarke drew in a deep breath, most likely preparing herself for a long night of yelling, but Bellamy stopped her before she could start. "I know you don't want me going with you tomorrow." He stood up and started to walk over to where she was standing, stopping a few feet in front of her. "Someone in charge needs to be at camp, and we both know that you're the diplomat of the two of us. But I'm coming. We're a team, we do this together." He waited for her to respond, but he was met with nothing but silence. "Clarke, come on, tell me what's going on?"

She looked at him finally, Bellamy realizing why she hadn't done so in the first place. With anyone else, Clarke could cancel out her emotions, becoming completely solid. But Bellamy was different; too much had happened between them over the years, they had grown too close for her to shut him out. As her eyes looked into his, a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Clarke struggled to speak clearly, but she finally forced the words out of her, "Bell, they're going to kill everyone."

"What do you mean 'they're going to kill everyone'? I thought they were a peaceful group of people?" Bellamy spoke calmly, but his concern was bleeding through his voice.

"The letter - the one they sent to us today - wasn't to negotiate peace. It was to negotiate a sacrifice," she said weakly.

"A sacrifice, but who - " Bellamy's heart stopped, realizing what she meant. "Clarke, no,I'm not letting you do this. You are not going to be some sacrificial peace offering to a bunch of hippies."

"The happy, carefree attitude is just a front. They have us surrounded, thousands of warriors are stationed to attack if we do nothing. We're outnumbered 40 to 1, their isn't anything we can do to save ourselves now. There's no way out of this."

A thousand things should have been running through Bellamy's head, but only one thought was: _I can't let Clarke leave me, I can't let the woman I love die. _

He was unable to speak, his mouth had been cemented together. Rage took over, as it used to when they first landed. "Clarke, what the hell did you think was going to happen? They take you, you die, and everyone lives a happily ever after? They have us surrounded, they won't let go alive or without joining them. You dying won't help anyone." Bellamy shook his head, and before Clarke could respond, he stormed out of the tent, needing to be in his own space to cool down.

"Get ahold of yourself, Blake," he muttered to himself as he pushed his way into his tent.

So there he panicked, not knowing what to do and how to fix things. Bellamy always had a plan b, even a plan c and d, but he couldn't think of anything to help them now. Like Clarke had told him, nothing could save them.

It wasn't long before Bellamy heard rushing footsteps, Clarke running into his tent.

The two looked at each other, a sorrowful silence filling their acceptance of their oncoming death. Clarke's eyes no longer were filled with tears, but with an urgency and fierceness Bellamy had never seen before.

"You're right. I'm not going to sacrifice myself for some peace negotiation that I'm not even sure will ensure everyone's safety. I'm not going to die because of intimidation. If I'm going to die, I'm going to go down fighting." Clarke radiated with the warrior-princess she was.

Drawn together like magnets, Bellamy and Clarke started to walk towards each other. Bellamy stood close enough to Clarke to see the exact shade of blue her eyes were, every scar on her face, every small detail that made Clarke who she was, and Bellamy loved every last bit.

"Clarke, I-" he started but before he could finish, Clarke's lips were on his and, for once, Bellamy had a clear mind.

She pulled away enough to look up at his face and say, "No, Bellamy, I get to say it first." Despite that they'd be dead by this time tomorrow, a smile spread wider that ever across her face, "I love you, Bellamy Blake."

Bellamy reached down to push a strand of hair out of her eyes and echoed back, "I love you, Clarke Griffin. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love - " Clarke, once again, cut him off with a kiss, drawing her hands up to his hair, and _why_ did they have to die tomorrow because Bellamy thought he was falling in love all over again by the way her fingers brushed over his body.

Before Bellamy could do anything, Raven came running into his tent. At the sight of the two of them locked in each other's arms, as per usual, Raven wasn't fazed.

"Clarke, I can see that you're being embrace by the guy you've been in love with for five years, but I thought I'd just let you know my signal reached your mother. They know what's going to happen and they're flying in to get us. The airship they've recovered is up-and-running and they'll be here in an hour. Just thought I'd give you an update." Rave started to turn but Clarke stopped her.

"We've got to get everyone gathering their things, to pack and grab as much as you can. I have to - "

"Already got you covered," Raven told her, "The crew's known and is almost done, we're basically just waiting on Bellamy over here to hurry up and seduce you but I think it can wait." With that, Raven walked out of the tent.

Clarke turned around to look at Bellamy, "I guess I should help you pack up your tent."

He laughed and drew Clarke into him, "You know, Princess, just because we're not going to die tomorrow doesn't mean I don't love you. I wasn't lying."

"Good because I still love you, too," Clarke said as she reached up and kissed him.

After a few seconds of bliss, Bellamy interrupted her and whispered, "As much as I hate to do this, we really do need to get ready to go."

She nodded her head and agreed, "Yeah, you're right," and went right to it.

As the sun rose that morning and they arrived at Camp Jaha, Bellamy and Clarke sat huddled against a tree looking out at the sun rise. A chuckle rose from Bellamy.

"What? What's so funny?" Clarke questioned.

"You actually believed I would let you go? Alone? You really are crazy."

"Yeah, but I'm the crazy person you are in _love_ with."

"I sure am."

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